After a short break for healing, the party set off down the stairs to the lower level. However, some people had escaped that way, and enough time had passed for the defences to be activated. So when they started down the stairs they saw a couple of figures waiting for them. The party challenged them to stand aside, but that was met with a stream of flame, and combat started in earnest. It took them a few moments to realise that they were dealing with summoned devils, and one of them teleported itself out of the melee right next to Cassandra, the sorceress! It surprised her enough that she said rude and out) but maintained her composure enough to take a step backwards and cast dismissal.

Cassandra was lucky and her devil went – Robert was less successful and the Devil just leered and leaned into attack again. It was immune to fire, resistant to many other energies and physical damage - but worse still, it was covered with spikes and every time someone got close enough to attack the devil they took damage from the barbed spikes themselves. Still, they whittled away at the thing and finally bested it.

Then it was into the guard room, where a few hardy guards remained to see the effects. A volley from the guards did little damage to Robert, then Larran appeared and one of the guards fell to the ground dead, in what appeared to be a single stroke. The rest ran for the exit, although there was a rogue hiding out, who managed to get a sneak attack in on Ox. However, he too was cut down, by Ox and Rudy, in a single round – so he didn’t get the chance to flee either.

Then the rest of the complex was empty. The corridors went around in a big circle and they found the secret exit had been used as well. There was no one else left inside, however they found all sorts of things. There was a conventional alchemist’s lab and four special laboratories for preparing different types of drugs, as well as coded record books, and supplies of raw Flayleaf, Dwarven Fire Ale and Elven Absinth. Most disturbing was a collection of mummified creatures, including a human child and a kobold that were being used to produce an elixir of youth and longevity - fortunately Rudy had heard of the process and knew that some addicts eventually turned into Ghouls!

They filled their portable hole up with supplies of Flayleaf, the Dwarven Fire Ale, the Elven Absinth and the record books. Then they smashed the rest of the place up. They paid particular attention to the mummies, smashing their containers and piling flammable materials (and any drugs they wanted to destroy) the remains and set the whole pile alight. They were already invisible and quickly made their way out through the secret escape tunnel – only to realise that there were crowds around watching and that they couldn’t communicate with each other very well. So they made their way to the temple of Desna and teleported straight back to Wyvernstone Bridge from there.

They have certainly disrupted the drugs trade in Pitax – and possibly weakened one of Irovetti’s allies – however, they know they were spotted and identified. Returning to Pitax will be more difficult in future.